Ashes to Ashes

Baptism By Flame And Frost

arled.

Charged.

Luna moved first. A wave of flame shot from her hands, arcing toward the monster’s skull. The creature howled, caught in the blaze, but didn’t stop. It should’ve stopped.

Ash lunged, palm flat, slamming a sheet of ice under its feet — it skidded, roared, and turned on him instead. Claws raked the air where his head had just been.

He ducked, pivoted, and countered with a blast of frozen wind, spikes of ice driving into the monster’s flank. Blood-black ichor sprayed.

Luna sprinted to his side, breathing hard, fire curling around her like a cloak.

"That thing—it's not normal," she said.

"Yeah. Welcome to the show."

Another crash. A second beast burst through the far wall — this one smaller, sleeker, faster. Its eyes glowed violet. It leapt straight for Luna.

She didn’t flinch.

She screamed, a raw, guttural sound pulled from something ancient inside her — and the fire that erupted wasn’t a flame.

It was a wingspan.

For one impossibly bright second, burning feathers flared out behind her, a corona of heat and power, and the creature was gone. Disintegrated midair.

Ash turned, stunned. "You—"

"Not now!" she barked, though her voice shook. "More coming!"

Vexa crashed through the back wall, a dagger in one hand, her other crackling with warding sigils.

"Out!" she yelled. "Both of you — there's a tunnel under the fireplace! Go!"

Luna hesitated. Ash did not.

He grabbed her wrist, eyes meeting hers. “Luna. We need to live through this. Come on.”

She nodded, fire still smoldering in her wake.

They ran.

Behind them, the beasts followed. Through collapsing rooms, enchanted traps, tight stone corridors lit by bioluminescent moss. The safehouse was deeper than it appeared — ancient protections woven into its walls. A place built for old wars.

One of the beasts dropped down through a ventilation shaft, teeth bared.

Ash stopped. Turned.

And let it hit him.

Luna screamed as he was driven into the stone floor.

Time froze.

A sharp silence.

Then—

BOOM.

A burst of ice erupted from Ash’s chest, spearing the creature from the inside out. It shrieked and shattered into pieces of black mist and bone.

Ash stood slowly, blood on his lip.

"Okay. That sucked."

She ran to him, half laughing, half sobbing. “You stupid—”

“Don’t say it,” he said, catching his breath. “Let’s just call it instinct.”

“Let’s call it ‘don’t do that again.’”

They reached the end of the tunnel — a heavy iron door. Vexa was already there, panting, blood on her blade.

“Outside’s chaos. But it’s our chaos. Get ready.”

Ash and Luna looked at each other, hand in hand.

Fire and ice.

And Luna whispered, “Let’s show them what gods look like when they’re still learning to love.”